Even the most diligent schools can be caught off guard by safety gaps hiding in plain sight.
In 2025, threats are more varied, environments more complex, and resources more strained than ever. Yet when most schools review their safety plans, they focus on familiar risks while quietly leaving other vulnerabilities unaddressed.

After working with schools across different sizes and budgets, we’ve found that these five overlooked gaps show up again and again. As you read, ask yourself: Are we truly prepared in these areas?

1. Coverage Beyond the Classroom

Most plans center on classrooms, but research shows that over 60% of incidents occur in hallways, parking lots, athletic fields, and other “in-between” spaces. These areas often lack clear supervision, lighting, or physical controls.

It’s not always about installing expensive new systems - sometimes it’s about rethinking how existing staff are deployed, improving signage, or adjusting traffic flow. Schools that fail to address these transitional zones risk leaving major blind spots in their safety net.

2. Policies That Don’t Keep Pace

Only about 30% of schools review their safety plans every year, meaning policies often lag behind new realities like hybrid learning, digital threats, or updated compliance requirements.

When policies are outdated, responses slow, decision-making stalls, and staff confidence erodes. Regular tabletop exercises and annual reviews aren’t “extra work”,  they’re what keep your plan relevant when you need it most.

3. No Unified Safety Team

Many schools rely on informal coordination between administrators, teachers, and local responders, but without a dedicated, multidisciplinary safety team, small issues can quickly escalate.

Having a clear chain of command, defined roles, and regular coordination between educators, SROs, mental health professionals, and community partners can be the difference between a quick, confident response and chaos.

4. Behavioral Warning Signs Missed or Ignored

Studies show that most safety incidents have observable warning signs, but without proper training, these signs go unnoticed until after an event occurs.

Strengthening early-identification skills across your staff, and not just counselors is key. From classroom aides to office staff, everyone should know what to look for and how to act on it, even if resources for additional hires aren’t available.

5. Underused Tools and Technology

Schools often either under-invest in safety technology or over-invest without a clear plan for using it effectively. In both cases, the result is the same: untapped potential to prevent or mitigate incidents.

The most effective approach isn’t necessarily buying more, it’s making sure what you already have is fully integrated into your safety strategy.

How ProtectED Fits In

At ProtectED, we specialize in uncovering these hidden gaps and building safety strategies that work with your campus, your resources, and your needs. We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach or push unnecessary high-cost upgrades.  Instead, we design practical, compliant plans that close real vulnerabilities while making the most of what you already have.

If even one of these five gaps sounds familiar, it’s worth asking:

• Would our current plan stand up to a real-world incident?

• Are we relying on assumptions instead of evidence?

• Have we tested our readiness this year?

The first step is knowing where the gaps are. The next is closing them before they’re tested.